5,4,3,2,1 What Are You Waiting For?
by A Pen and a Piece of Mind
Summary: She runs, so he chases. [companion piece to bury me]


_So here would be my companion piece to "Bury Me" You don't really need to read "Bury Me" to get the point but it's just a recommended read and would probably make this story a little bit better. Here we go and remember to leave a review at the end. The title I took from Thursday's Counting 5-4-3-2-1 off of their new album._

**5,4,3,2,1...What Are You Waiting For?**

**Written By: A Pen and a Piece of Mind**

Jack handed Hurley an aspirin to calm his nerves, the situation was very similar to when Charlie had needed something after Claire was taken. Jack reached out to the pale man taking the aspirin, Jack couldn't imagine losing someone he cared that much about. When he thought about the endless possibilities on the island and how Kate could fall victim to one of them, he shuddered. Hurley noticed this and felt the need to bring up the hidden feelings Jack held for Kate.

"Just tell her." Hurley said his slight hope hidden behind his somber attitude.

"What?" Jack asked trying to seem as if he had no idea what Hurley was talking about. Jack looked down the beach to see Kate sitting on thesand and looking out at the waves.

"You know what I mean." Hurley said before walking away, leaving Jack alone to his thoughts.

Kate watched the endless waves roll onto the beach and recede back into the vast ocean. She looked down the beach to see Jack just standing around and looking at the ground. She wanted desperately to say something to him but she couldn't. She turned back to look at the ocean and felt herself break with each crash of the waves. She looked back at Jack who had nowmoved away out of the sun and was heading into the jungle.

Jack headed deeper and deeper in the jungle. He needed to say something to her but he just couldn't. They were both just way too stubborn to say anything for neither one was willing to break the icy cold that had become of their former relationship.

Jack could hear a rustling behind him and turned around, but there was no one there. The dead silence of the jungle weighed on him so he began his walk again, heading to some unknown location.

_Am I alone in this?  
Never a night where  
I can sleep myself till day _

We must try to figure it out  
Figure it out  
It won't be that easy  
We lost it somehow

Kate followed Jack quietly as the sun set behind them. Previously she had accidentally tripped and caused a small amount of noise she hoped Jack hadn't heard, but he turned around and looked for the source of the noise until he gave up. Kate secretly hoped he knew she was there, but a small part of her was only out here making sure Jack got back to the hatch alright.

Jack had no idea where he was going, he knew there was someone following him and all he was doing was leading them around in circles until they showed themselves or gave up. He had a feeling the person was Kate and had been confirmed of this when the person wasn't giving up.

"Kate, I know you're there." Jack said his voice unused and hoarse.

Kate stopped in her place, how had he known? She let out a sigh and exited her hiding spot.

"Hi." She whispered feeling slightly guilty at having followed him.

_You come over unannounced  
Silence broken by  
Your voice in the dark  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like the ocean  
Needs the waves_

"What are you doing out here?" Jack didn't waste any time, he just got right to the point.

"Making sure you were alright. You know getting back to the hatch. I uh-saw you before and you didn't look well so I thought if something happened, no would know." Kate tried to cover up her reasons.

"Tell me the truth." Jack felt the sting of her lies again.

"That is the truth. I was making sure you were ok." Kate repeated.

"I'm fine." Jack said harshly to her, wanting to punch himself in the face after he saw her reaction to his biting words.

_Oh, the night becomes the space thats somewhere in between,  
what I feel and what I'm taught_

_Sitting on the shoreline  
Trying to figure it out  
Figure it out  
To find out the meaning  
And reach it somehow_

Kate looked hurt and felt the pain Jack held. She felt even worse that she was the cause of his anger and turned around to leave, not knowing how to respond.

Jack grabbed her wrist as she turned to run away.

"Not this time. We need to talk." Jack said starting the much needed conversation.

"Jack let go." Kate struggled but he gripped her wrist, not daring to let her go.

"Why did you run?" Jack asked as she continued to try and get free.

"I don't know." Kate lied.

"Yes you do." Jack said not wanting to play the game anymore.

"Jack...please...let go." Kate repeated over and over again, not wanting to have the conversation.

"Why did you run?" Jack asked again feeling a cold droplet hit his arm.

"Because you're too good for me." Kate practically screamed as Jack let go of her wrist.

_You come over unannounced  
Silence broken by  
Your voice in the dark  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like the ocean  
Needs the waves _

_Fall around me now, like  
Stars that shine  
And brigthen the way  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like this night  
Needs the rain_

Kate let Jack sit with the thought she placed in his mind as she took off. Rain was falling heavily on the island now but neither person cared. This was Jack's opportunity he realised as he took off after her. He made his way through the undergrowth following Kate. She was slowing down but Jack didn't care, he needed to catch her and that was all he knew at the given moment in time.

He grabbed her wrist once again but dropped it once she realized it was him. She didn't run again, she just stood looking at him.

"Did you mean it?" This time Kate broke the silence that encased them.

"What?" Jack asked catching his breath.

"When we were waiting for Michael, I told you I was sorry and you said you weren't. Did you mean it?" Kate asked again breathing deeply from running.

"Yes, Kate, I meant it." Jack answered after a moment of silence.

_The season has changed, the wind  
It moves colder now, colder now  
The clouds are raised, the rain  
It falls harder now, all around_

Kate let the information sink in before she turned to run again.

"You can't run from every problem Kate." Jack told her over the loud crashing of the rain.

Kate stopped, she couldn't bring herself to take off again. Something was stopping her or rather someone was stopping her.

"Jack, I have to." Kate said sounding desperate to move.

"That's what you're going to do everytime things get complicated? You're going to run? You're scared, I understand that but you can't run from this. I need you Kate and if you run, I'm going to have to keep chasing you. You can run from everything else but not this." Jack said feeling all the tension between them disappear.

"I've never had a reason to stop." Kate confessed.

"You do now." Jack told her sounding helpless until she turned around to face him.

_You come over unannounced  
Silence broken by  
Your voice in the dark  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like the ocean  
Needs the waves_

_Fall around me now, like  
Stars that shine  
And brighten the way  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like tonight  
It needs the rain_

Jack walked over to where Kate stood and kissed her. She paused for a second but kissed him back. They melted into the moment feeling all time and all life on the island fade away. It was only them. Time came to a stand still and neither one could feel the cold rain anymore. The ice had shattered between them and they were no longer lonely or broken, feeling they got this one thing right.

_Over unannounced  
Silence broken by  
Your voice in the dark  
I need you here, tonight  
Just like the ocean  
Needs the waves_

"I'm sorry." Jack said apologizing for the way he had treated her in the past week or so.

"I'm sorry too." Kate apologized for running and for not letting him in to her secrets before.

_Just like the stars  
That fall around me now_

The game ended, there were no losers or winners. Jack and Kate just weren't going to pretend anymore, it was over, they gave the game up and tossed it away.

**-The End-**

**The Ocean - Mae - The Everglow**


End file.
